In recent decades, it has become increasingly clear that diets containing large amounts of saturated fatty acids are directly correlated to an increased likelihood of developing heart disease. Hence, efforts have been made to modify the fatty acid content of commonly used oils to produce healthier oils having lower amounts of saturated fatty acids.
Corn oil is composed of saturated and unsaturated fatty acids with carbon chain lengths ranging from 12 to 24. Approximately 95% or more of the total oil content is composed of palmitic (16:0), stearic (18:0), oleic (18:1), and linoleic (18:2) acids, Jellum (1970) J. Agric. Food Chem., 18:365-70. Palmitic and stearic acids are saturated fatty acids; thus, corn oil having less of these two fatty acids would be highly desirable.
The published literature on saturated fatty acid content in corn indicates the presence of diverse genes, located on different chromosomes, that affect saturated fatty acid content in a manner not clearly understood. This fact, combined with the virtual absence of information regarding the molecular biology of fatty acid profile in corn, has complicated the task of modifying the saturate level in corn and, in particular, has rendered the breeding endeavor of selecting for corn saturate content highly unpredictable a priori. Moreover, there has been no basis to date for a reasonable expectation of success in obtaining mean saturate levels less than 8%.